System and method for controlling delivery of media data to target devices

A method of controlling delivery of media data to a plurality of target devices in a target network the method comprising, in the target network:

• transmitting, from a source device located in the target network, a media data delivery initiation request to a communications control system, the request comprising a target device group indicator, the target network being connected to the communications control system via an access network, the communications control system being located outside the target network and comprising a store of target device group control data for controlling the transmission of media data to at least a first plurality of target devices in the target network, the stored target device group control data being retrievable based on target device group control indicators contained in media data delivery initiation requests;
• receiving, at the source device, a media data delivery initiation response from the communications control system, the response comprising target device group control data retrieved from the store of target device group control data on the basis of the target device group indicator in the media data delivery initiation request, the retrieved target device group control data identifying at least one network address in the target network;
• and
• transmitting media data from the source device to the at least one network address, whereby media data is delivered to the first plurality of target devices,
• wherein the at least one network address comprises an address for which, when media data is transmitted to the at least one network address by the source device, media data is delivered to the first plurality of target devices via the target network and not via the access network.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium having computer-executable instructions stored thereon, which, when executed, cause a computing device to perform in a communications control system, a method of controlling delivery of media data to a plurality of target devices in a target network, the method comprising:

• storing target device group control data for controlling the transmission of media data to at least a first plurality of target devices in the target network, the target network being connected to the communications control system via an access network, the communications control system being located outside the target network;
• receiving a media data delivery initiation request from a source device located in the target network, the request comprising a target device group indicator;
• retrieving target device group control data, from the stored target device group control data, based on the target device group indicator contained in the media data delivery initiation request;
• and
• transmitting a media data delivery initiation response to the source device, the response comprising the retrieved target device group control data, the retrieved target device group control data identifying at least one network address in the target network to which media data is to be transmitted by the source device, whereby to deliver media data to the first plurality of target devices,
• wherein the at least one network address comprises an address for which, when media data is transmitted to the at least one network address by the source device, media data is delivered to the first plurality of target devices via the target network and not via the access network.

A communications control system for controlling delivery of media data to a plurality of target devices in a target network, the system comprising:

• a function for storing target device group control data for controlling the transmission of media data to at least a first plurality of target devices in the target network, the target network being connected to the communications control system via an access network, the communications control system being located outside the target network;
• a function for transmitting a media data delivery initiation request from a source device located in the target network, the request comprising a target device group indicator;
• a function for receiving the media data delivery initiation request at the communications control system;
• a function for retrieving target device group control data, from the stored target device group control data, based on the target device group indicator contained in the media data delivery initiation request;
• and
• a function for transmitting a media data delivery initiation response from the communications control system, the response comprising the retrieved target device group control data, the retrieved target device group control data identifying at least one network address in the target network to which media data is to be transmitted by the source device;
• a function for receiving the media data delivery initiation response at the source device;
• and
• a function for transmitting media data from the source device to the at least one network address, whereby the media data is delivered to the first plurality of target devices,
• wherein the at least one network address comprises an address for which, when media data is transmitted to the at least one network address by the source device, media data is delivered to the first plurality of target devices via the target network and not via the access network.

A method for processing messages at a session border controller in a telecommunications network, the method comprising:

• at the session border controller, receiving a plurality of media data delivery control messages directed to a media data source device, the messages each identifying a media data delivery destination address to which media data is to be delivered by the media data source device;
• at the session border controller, modifying the media data delivery destination address identified in one or more of the plurality of received media data delivery control messages to identify a network address of the session border controller as the media data delivery destination address to which media data is to be delivered by the media data source device;
• at the session border controller, transmitting, to the media data source device, the one or more media data delivery control messages with the media data delivery destination address to which media data is to be delivered by the media data source device modified;
• and
• at the session border controller, transmitting, to the media data source device one or more other media data delivery control messages of the plurality of received media data delivery control messages with the destination address to which media data is to be delivered by the media data source device unmodified.